


What Comes Next?

by UpsideDownCats



Category: The Last Hours Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-19
Updated: 2020-05-19
Packaged: 2021-03-03 02:27:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24277369
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UpsideDownCats/pseuds/UpsideDownCats
Summary: Cordelia does not want to repeat anything that happened. James manages to convince her otherwise.
Relationships: Cordelia Carstairs/James Herondale
Kudos: 27





	What Comes Next?

“Let’s never do that again.” Cordelia moved to sit down in an armchair, setting Cortana on the table next to her.

James froze. “Do what, exactly?”

“Any of what just happened, honestly.”

“Oh, right. None of it. Got it.” James bobbed his head. “Yeah, none of it.”

“That sounds like a good idea.” Grace walked into the room with Jesse and Lucie, followed by James’ parents, who were both clearly upset.

James had heard them from the library, lecturing Lucie about necromancy and its consequences. He didn’t blame them. When he found out what she had done, he had done some lecturing of his own, while Lucie just rolled her eyes and waited for him to be done. Which was not what she had done just now- she defended herself, and he had even heard her say, “If it had been Uncle Jem, what would you have done?”

“None of it had better happen again,” his Mother said, frowning at Lucie. “If you-”

“I would never, don’t worry.” She smiled at her innocently.

His Father shook his head, but James was pretty sure he was at least a little proud of Lucie. “Well, Cordelia, I’m sorry about everything that happened. I have to say, I’m disappointed in you too, James. Asking someone into a fake engagement?”

“Oh, no, no. It’s perfectly alright. James was trying to help. I do not blame him in the slightest.” She turned to smile at him, and he felt his throat go dry. After Grace’s bracelet was removed, Cordelia had told him that she was in love with him. He hadn’t been able to process it at the time- the bracelet being taken off always made his brain foggy and slow- but in the last two days, the words had been rolling over and over in his head. _I’m in love with you James. I have been for years._ He touched the Herondale ring that Cordelia had given back when they broke off the engagement.

James cleared his throat, ready to ask, but at that moment, Jessamine appeared and went right to where Lucie, Grace, and Jesse were standing, talking quietly.

“You three! What were you thinking? Raising a ghost from the dead! When I-”

“Why am I included in this?” Jesse crossed his arms. “I was the one who tried to stop them! You can’t blame me!”

Everyone suddenly started arguing, and James wasn’t sure if he was relieved or disappointed he couldn’t say it. Maybe he shouldn’t do it in front of everyone. Maybe-

Cordelia had stood and was touching his shoulder, looking concerned. “James? Are you alright? You look pale.”

“Oh, I- I’m fine.”

“Are you sure? You- Mr. Herondale!”

James had collapsed, dizzy, onto a couch, head in his hands. Everyone stopped and turned to him.

“James?” Cordelia was leaning over him, and he wanted nothing more than to close the distance between them and kiss her.

“I’m fine. It’s fine.” He stood. “It’s just- Cordelia, did you mean it when you said you didn’t want to do any of it again?”

“What? James, what are you saying? No, I don’t want to almost die and-” She broke off with a gasp when he got down on his knee, the same way he had months ago.

“Cordelia Carstairs, will you marry me? Actually marry me, this time? Not just get engaged because you ruined yourself, but actually get married because I love you.”

For several moments, she just gaped at him. “You’re actually in love with me?”

“Yes. After the bracelet-” He glanced at Grace, who was smiling at him. He wasn’t in love with her- had never been, really- but they were still good friends, and he was pleased to see that she wasn’t upset. “I can think clearly now. And I know that I am hopelessly, terribly, incredibly in love with you.”

She kept staring, and James was starting to think this had been a bad idea. What if she wasn’t in love with him anymore? What if he had rejected her one too many times and she hated-

Cordelia grabbed him and pulled him up, so they were face-to-face, inches apart. “James, of course I will marry you. “Of course.”

He grinned, and opened his mouth, but was cut off by the applause before he could say anything. He had forgotten the other people in the room, and his Father had started clapping. His Mother said something about Mathew, Thomas, and Christopher and hurried out, but not before pulling James into a quick hug. Lucie ran forward and threw her arms around Cordelia, beaming. 

Congratulations were said, and when Cordelia was finally released, she came and took James’ hand, and he finally knew he was making the right choice. He was sure that this was what he wanted.


End file.
